Biopsy device



MSW@ NN j \L im. wi NNW N www "Liv NN June 5, 1962 F www fw Naz: E: "A \rrr/ l WML A WN NN NL ice 3,037,495 BIOPSY DEVICE John F. Naz, 2826 Orange Grove, Waterford, Mich. Filed July 17, 1959, Ser. No. 827,912 4 Claims. (Cl. 128-2) This invention relates to an improved biopsy device for removing surface cell material from a recessed portion of a living organism, and more particularly but not necessarily exclusively to an improved device of this character for obtaining biopsy samples from the uterine cervix.

One important object of the present invention is to provide an improved biopsy device for removing loosely held tissue from the surface of a recessed portion of a body cavity.

Other objects are: To provide an improved device for obtaining biopsy samples from the uterine cervix; to provide an improved biopsy device for securing surface cell samples from within a selected portion of a body cavity and protecting them from contamination as they are withdrawn from the cavity; and in generalkto provide an improved biopsy device of this character which is reliable in operation, simple to use and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawing, wherein:

FIGURE l is a longitudinal sectional view of a biopsy device according to the invention, showing the device in one operative position;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view generally similar to the view of FIGURE l, but showing the device in a second operative position;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view showing the construction of the tissue collecting diaphragm, the View being taken in the direction of the arrow 4 of FIGURE 2.

A biopsy device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention and as shown in the drawing comprises three rigid parts, a collar 10, a plunger 12, and a sleeve 14, which may be made of metal, plastic or any other desired relatively rigid material, and which are arranged to hold and manipulate a flexible diaphragm 16 for contacting the surface from which the tissue sample is to be taken.

The collar is in the form of an elongated tube having a relatively small diameter rear portion 18, a relatively large diameter front portion 20, and a tapering intermediate portion 22. The collar 10 is preferably made substantially longer than the length of the body cavity it is desired to investigate in order to permit easy manipulation of the device from outside of the body.

The plunger 12 is slidably fitted within the collar 10 and includes a relatively narrow shaft portion 24 and a piston-like front portion 26. A pair of finger grips 28 are xed at the rear of the collar 10, and the plunger 12 carries a thumb grip, or ring 30 to facilitate manual actuation of the plunger in the collar. A style 32 is xed on and projects from the front end of the plunger 12, and is dimensioned to fit within the cervix. The end of the style 32 is preferably smoothly rounded and may be slightly enlarged to form a knob 34 if desired.

The front end portion 26 of the plunger carries a diametrically arranged bar 36, which is fixed to the plunger, and extends radially outwardly through a pair of slots 38 in the collar 10 for limiting the travel of the plunger relative to the collar. At the forwardmost position of the plunger 12 relative to the collar the style 32 projects, as shown in FIGURE 1, substantially its full length beyond the front end of the collar. When the plunger 12 is fully retracted the style 32 is fully withdrawn and does not project beyond the end of the collar.

The sleeve 14 is slidably fitted over the enlarged front end portion 20 of the collar and is provided with slots 40, which are aligned with the slots 38 of the collar. The bar 36 extends also through the sleeve slots 40. The sleeve 14 also carries an external annular flange 42 at its front end for engaging and retaining the diaphragm 16. The slots 4t) in the sleeve are slightly shorter than the slots 38 in the collar so that when the plunger 12 is fully retracted the bar 36 engages the rear edges of the slots 40 and retracts the sleeve 14 a short distance, say about 1/s" rearwardly on the collar 10 to draw the diaphragm 16 hat and stretch it slightly across the end of the collar it).

The diaphragm 16 may be made of rubber or any other desired relatively soft elastomeric material and has a reinforcing and retaining ring 44 around its outer periphery, which snap-spring engages behind the ange 42 of the sleeve for removably retaining the diaphragm on the device, The outer surface 46 of the diaphragm is of cratered or dimpled configuration, as perhaps best shown in FIG. 4, and includes a plurality of closely spaced cup-like indentations 48, which are drawn partly open as the diaphragm is str-etched, and which return to a position of maximum closure when the diaphragm.

retracts.

In operation, the diaphragm 16 is fitted over the front end of the sieeve 14 with the plunger 12 retracted so that the diaphragm is positioned as shown in FIGURE 2 across the front end of the collar 10 and the sleeve 14. The device is then placed in position and the diaphragm is held against the cervix by manual pressure on the finger grips 28. The plunger is then advanced by means of the thumb grip 30 to drive the style 32 into the cervix. The style 32 carries the diaphragm 16 into engagement with the inner Wall of the cervix with a soft rubbing action during which the cup-like formations 48 on the surface of the diaphragm pick up and retain cell samples from the cervical wall. The plunger 12 is then retracted and the instrument is withdrawn. Due to its natural elasticity the diaphragm 16 retracts itself with the plunger, and as the plunger 12 approaches its fully retracted position, the bar 36 engages the slots 40 and retracts the sleeve 14 slightly to hold the diaphragm in a lightly stretched flat position across the open end of the collar as shown in FIGURE 2. The central portion of the diaphragm 16 and the biopsy material thereon are thus protected from contamination through contact with the walls of the vagina as the diaphragm is withdrawn.

The collected cell material on the surface of the diaphragm may be dabbed on a microscope slide or otherwise prepared as desired for cytological or other studies.

What is claimed is:

l. A biopsy device for obtaining cell samples comprising a tubular housing, a plunger slidable within said housing, a sleeve itted externally on said housing and slidable relative thereto, an elastomeric cell receiving member having a roughened surface, means carried by said sleeve for removably retaining said elastomeric cell receiving member in a position over one end of said housing, means for retracting said sleeve relative to said housing in response to relative movement between said housing and said plunger, and means carried by said plunger for engaging said elastomeric cell receiving member and extending it beyond said one end of said housing when said plunger is advanced relative to said housing to thus move said roughened surface of the elastomeric cell receiving member into contact with the cell samples to be obtained.

2. A biopsy device for obtaining cervical surface cell samples comprising a tubular housing, a plunger longitudinally slidable within said housing, limit means for limiting relative movement between said housing and said plunger, a sleeve fitted externally on said housing and slidable relative thereto, an elastomeric cell receiving diaphragm having a roughened surface, means carried by said sleeve for removably retaining said elastomeric diaphragm across one end of said housing, and a style carried by said plunger for engaging said diaphragm retained by said sleeve and movable beyond said one end of said housing for stretching the diaphragm into the cervix when said one end of said housing is held against the cervix and said plunger is advanced relative to said housing.

3. A biopsy device for obtaining cervical surface cell samples comprising a tubular housing, a plunger longitudinally slidable within said housing, limit means for limiting relative movement between said housing and said plunger, a sleeve fitted externally on said housing and slidable relative thereto, an elastomeric diaphragm having a roughened surface, means carried by said sleeve removably retaining said elastomeric diaphragm across one end of said housing, and a style carried by said plunger for engaging said diaphragm retained by said sleeve and movable beyond said one end of said housing for stretching the diaphragm into the cervix when said one end of said housing is held against the cervix and said plunger is advanced relative to said housing, and means for stretching the diaphragm lightly across said one end of said housing in response to full retraction of said plunger relative to said housing.

4. A biopsy device for obtaining cervical surface cell sa-mples comprising a generally tubular housing having an open forward end and a longitudinally extending aperture adjacent thereto, a plunger longitudinally slidable within said housing, a projection fixed to said plunger and extending through said aperture for limiting movement of said plunger relative to said housing, a style carried by said plunger at the forward end thereof and movable therewith between a retracted position in which said style is fully Within said housing and an advanced position in which said style projects forwardly from said housing, a sleeve slidably mounted exteriorly on said housing adjacent to the forward end thereof, said sleeve having a longitudinal slot therein which is Shorter than said aperture in said housing, said projection on said plunger also extending through said slot, said slot being positioned in said sleeve so that during a terminal portion of the retracting travel of said plunger said projection engages the rear end of said slot and retracts said sleeve to a position in which its front end is spaced rearwardly from the front end of said housing, a cell receiving elastomeric diaphragm having a roughened surface, said sleeve also having a retaining iiange extending around its front end removably receiving said cell receiving elastomeric diaphragm and supporting it across the open front end of said housing.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNXTED STATES PATENTS 2,591,927 Gladstone Apr. 8, 1952 2,701,559 Cooper Feb. 8, 1955 2,710,000 Cromer et a-l. June 7, 1955 2,831,478 Uddenberg et al. Apr. 22, 1958 2,847,990 Ayre Aug. 19, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 215,350 Germany Feb. 13, 1908 894,606 Germany Oct. 26, 1953 

